So my buddy and I are going out in a canoe in the Fridley/NE Mpls area on the river tonight.
We are trying to exploit the low water situation on and around the various islands up there for channels.
Where would you guys start your attack? Snags? Current? Seams? Backwater? Deep water?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Current/seams… 
If you’re looking for channels…I never thought I would say this…but take some Sonny’s along… 
Dang that even hurt to say that.
It just makes sense…hot water temps, low flow…stink bait. I’m only a one day wonder…but it seems like channels will seek it out.
Don’t forget to take a throw away towel!
But Brian, I don’t WANT to buy Stink Bait!!!! Can’t I just use cut suckers like a normal person?
Seriously, if I had some stink bait, I’d bring it and just set the tub in the water.
I’ll try the seams. I figure that around the islands is about the only place where there is enough current to make a seem right now.
I would launch where Rice Creek enters the Missippi. I can’t think of the park but it is up about 5 miles north on east river road. There is some nice drop offs there and we have caught some nice cats in the past. 
That is Manomin park. It is kind of a hike down to the river there with the canoe, but we may try it.
We tried some stink bait last night a little downstream… It didnt work so hot for us(not even a nibble). It was the Sonny’s blood stuff.
I wouldnt know where to tell you to go up that way. I dont take my boat on the water up that far.. lots of shallow rocks. There should be a few potholes around with some channels lurking. There is a never ending supply of crawdads up that way for food. I dont think eater size channels are going to be hard to find.
Dave – where’d you fish last night? I am pretty familiar with that stretch.
You ever try near the inlet/outlet at the Water Works?
There is a culvert under the bridge that has a nice hole in front of it. It usually holds some nice cats..
That would be the 694 bridge, right?
As low as the water is right now you would probably be better off walking up the banks. As far as deep water, there really isn’t any. If I were you I would go to the Coon Rapids Dam and go to the parking lot by Cenaiko. A short jaunt down some rip rap and you are in a pretty good area. Try out in front of where Coon Creek dumps in or try to get up close to the dam. Any where south of there probably won’t be more than 4′ deep.
Good Luck
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But Brian, I don’t WANT to buy Stink Bait!!!! Can’t I just use cut suckers like a normal person?
OK…. lets think about three things in this quote. Brian, Cut suckers, Normal person. 
Oxymoron for 200 Alex?
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Brian, Cut suckers, Normal person
What is the difference between a Royal Triumvirate and a Royal Flush 
dave
Aw, 694 bridge where my big brother used to take me catfishing. 
I wonder if there is much in front of that culvert under the bridge. Had fun catching carp there way back in the spring when the water was up. I always wanted to try the dock across the river from the launch. The wood piles up in front of it, but in this low water it is all probably beached. If you can find a place where the ripples seem to end because the water gets a little deeper, I would hit that no matter where it was, by an island or out in the middle.
If I were you, the first thing I would hit is park the canoe some how next to the bridge pilings and fish the edy that forms on the downstream end. Keep your bait right up next to it. It’ll probably be snaggy, but in that area I bet it is as prime of structure you’ll find with low water. The water should be a little deeper there being washed out as the current goes around the piling.
Come to think of it, when I was younger we’d cast right up to the backside of the pilings. You have access in a canoe to the ones away from shore though, which will be better.
ps. You might want to try smelt too!
I have tried the Dam 2 or 3 times in the last couple of weeks. Not much luck. If you fish up there, you need to be on the West side. They have only one gate open and it is on that side. Also be prepared to wade and walk out as far as you can on the rocks. You won’t be able to squeeze in on the shoreline. I can give you more info if you (ever) end up going up there.
The NE/Fridley/Coon Rapids stretch is my old backyard stomping grounds.
I am pretty familiar with most of it, but it is the river, and hence still mysterious.
Maybe we’ll bring some crawlers along and fish for carp or sheepies if it gets real slow? They generally aren’t as affected by low water, are they?
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Maybe we’ll bring some crawlers along and fish for carp or sheepies if it gets real slow? They generally aren’t as affected by low water, are they?
Well with that attitude….! You’re apt to catch as many, if not more, channels there with crawlers than with anything else.
but then I have to use my ‘little pole’, which I don’t like using. Why can’t we live in WI so we can use 2 lines?
The way the fishing has been lately..
try explosives for a greater margin of success.
Well, we went out last night and sat on the SE side of a small island about 3/4 mile North of 694.
We set up to cast upstream of a series of boulders and a woodpile adjacent to water about 4 feet deep. Bait was cut suckers.
We immediately started getting hit. I swear I haven’t had a channel bite that crazy in quite some time.
We landed only 2 fish – a 2 pounder and a 3 pounder, but had many more that were hooked but got off. The only reason we left is that we were out of beer and it was getting fairly dark.
All in all, a great night on the river. The highlight of the night was silently drifting in the canoe within about 20 feet of some deer that were drinking on the East bank.
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The highlight of the night was silently drifting in the canoe within about 20 feet of some deer that were drinking on the East bank.
Silent? I almost ran smack into one on my bike the other afternoon (seriously, if I would have reached out, I could have touched it) and I was making no effort to be quiet!
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The only reason we left is that we were out of beer…
Amatuers! 
Fool! There was more beers back at the house!!
That’s even worse. You had the beer, but just didn’t bring’em with! Then again, once on the rum river I went fishing with my roommate at the time. We were in a canoe and drinking a little. It was a very warm day, but still early in the year. We ended up tipping it. Oooooh that water was cold. I should say HE ended up tipping it! Some how I managed to save all of my gear (thankfully it was closed so it floated. He was real quick at getting himself to shore and leaving me to drag in the swamped canoe! 
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That’s even worse. You had the beer, but just didn’t bring’em with! Then again, once on the rum river I went fishing with my roommate at the time. We were in a canoe and drinking a little. It was a very warm day, but still early in the year. We ended up tipping it. Oooooh that water was cold. I should say HE ended up tipping it! Some how I managed to save all of my gear (thankfully it was closed so it floated. He was real quick at getting himself to shore and leaving me to drag in the swamped canoe!
You did not answer the nagging question, you didn’t loose the beer, did you 
If I recall correctly, it was orange juice and vodka in a picture. Either that or a collage of juice and alchohol. It would have been pretty hard to save that!
But completely awesome if you had!
It is all about priorities, does a guy save his tackle, or does he say the beer….hmmm, I don’t think there is a right answer for that
Deepest hole I know is just below the 610\252 bridge, right in front of the former Rum Runners. I haven’t had success there, but it gets down to maybe 18 feet. Shore-fishable. Rum Runners isn’t in operation (no drinkin’), so you may be able to slide your canoe down their bank. I launch from the park off of 85th and 252. Go north from there and on the East side (holla!) about 3/4 a mile up where the river hangs a left is a nice hole. Prolly 14 feet deep now. There is a neighborhood road that runs right along that stretch on the east side. Some obvious wing dams to hit, but if you could get your canoe in, it’d be a hundred yard paddle to that hole. That’d put you along the northern tip of an island whose name I don’t know. So if you’re fishin’ and you’re drinkin’…
You’d be fishin’ with idiots?
Awesome Catillac. Thanks for the advice.
it’d be nice to hear somebody pull a critter outta there. Both seem holes seem like they’s produce, but I just haven’t had the luck. Pulled in a pound and a half channel just north of the bridge and had a big muskie take a swipe. I wasn’t drinkin’ at the time either. Rare event. Both the muskie and the drinkin’.
I’ve caught a few decent northerns in the shallows up there while reeling in cut bait. Maybe we could get Rapala to make a lure for us? 
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